I like Getty, but don't rush to this show...

This weekend I also saw the exhibition of Bernini and the Birth of the Baroque Portrait Sculpture at the Getty Center. Although the Getty is probably the most visited museum in Los Angeles it is my least favorite. The Getty is an amazing architectural space, and the garden is gorgeous, but I often find that their shows don’t offer much depth. I understand that they are geared more towards a family and broader audience however I still feel they could also offer something more for someone who has an arts background. I went to this exhibition because after going to Rome this summer and seeing all Bernini’s fountains and monuments and his work on the exterior of the Saint Peters I knew I had to see the exhibition. The show consists of busts of various important individuals in the Baroque period. I understand that Bernini’s masterpieces in the Borghese Gallery and all over Rome could not be included in the show but I would like some reference to them. Bernini really was incredible to create such lifelike sculptures out of marble. I just wish the exhibition could have offered more information or insight into Bernini or tried to show a different side of his work.

More Museum Show Commentary...

I really recommend the “Between Earth and Heaven- The Architecture of John Lautner” at the UCLA’s Hammer Museum. Both the design of the exhibition and the architecture of John Lautner are innovatively and creatively designed. Lautners believed that “a building should awaken a transcended understanding of the environment through conversation with the environment.” His designs integrate architecture in a dialogue with the landscape. I didn’t know anything about his work before going to the exhibition but I left feeling like I had a strong understanding of his aesthetic and design philosophy because of the design of the exhibition. In the subtle way that Lautner created an interesting dialogue between his architecture and the landscape, the design of the exhibition creates an interesting dialogue between the creation of his buildings and the life of the buildings now. On slated architectural planning boards you can see the preliminary sketches and models of his plans along with brief explanations and projected on the walls above are footage clips of the interior and exterior of the buildings now. It is interesting to consider both sides of the life of the building- the creation and the building decades later.

Blog3-The Problem Perspective at MOCA

After seeing the Martin Kippenberg: The Problem Perspective exhibition at the MOCA Grande I am left feeling only half satisfied.

Going into the show I knew very little about the artist other than he was a German artist. I was drawn to the show because I really liked one of the photographs that was used on the advertisement of Martin standing in St Mark’s Square in Venice. He is dressed in a handsome suit with pigeons all around him and one sits on his head and one on his shoulder. I also saw the other self portrait painting that was used in the ads of Martin in a fur jacket and sheriff's hat standing in front of a sign with the DDR posters up and a sign saying, “Souvenirs.” I was drawn to these self-portraits because of their sense of story and slight social commendatory. The one in Venice really struck me because it reminded me of Venice and their pigeon problem. The pigeons are so iconic in St Marks Square. Tourists, I have no idea why, love to feed them. However their population is out of control and it has caused a large problem for the city’s ecosystem. The Venetian government made it illegal to feed the pigeons anywhere in Venice except in St. Mark’s Square as an attempt to control the problem. The picture is also ironic because Martin is dressed in this gorgeous expensive suit, and “fare la bella figurea,” as Italians do yet he gladly has all these dirty pigeons on him.

When I went to the exhibition I expected to see more self-portraits and works of this nature, but did not. I loved the sketches that he did on hotel stationary throughout his travels scattered throughout the exhibition. It was interesting to think of all the places he went and to imagine him sitting in all this different hotel room, sketching or watercolor painting.

I was disappointed mostly because the picture from Venice that I loved so much from all the ads was very small and part of this huge collage so it was difficult to really see it very well. I felt slightly tricked by the ads because I expected it to be larger and also for they’re to be more photography in the show

I thought it was interesting to consider that Martin created a lot of the work around the time that Berlin Wall was up and unlike a lot of other German artists working at this time his work didn’t become dark and gloomy. Instead he chose to work in bright colors while still dealing with the idea of restricted freedom like in his piece Put Your Freedom in the Corner, Save it for a Rainy Day (1990) and With the Best Will in the World, I Can’t See a Swastika (1984.)

I am glad I went to the show, however every time I go to the MOCA and they aren’t showing any of their permanent collection I feel slightly jeped. The MOCA has such a rich collection of art and although I know they don’t have the gallery space to show their collection and exhibitions, I still always leave feeling like I am missing something.